The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn't be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration. With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless - and supposedly cursed - copy of Goethe's Faust for safekeeping.

If Books Could Kill: A Bibliophile Mystery

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is attending the world-renowned Book Fair when her ex Kyle shows up with a bombshell. He has an original copy of a scandalous text that could change history - and humiliate the beloved British monarchy. When Kyle turns up dead, the police are convinced Brooklyn's the culprit. But with an entire convention of suspects, Brooklyn's conducting her own investigation to find out if the motive for murder was a 200-year-old secret - or something much more personal.

The Lies That Bind: A Bibliophile Mystery

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright returns home to San Francisco to teach a bookbinding class. Unfortunately, the program director, Layla Fontaine, is a horrendous host who pitches fits and lords over her subordinates. But when Layla is found shot dead, Brooklyn is bound and determined to investigate - even as the killer tries to close the book on her for good.

Ripped from the Pages: A Bibliophile Mystery

Excited to explore the secrets of wine country, Brooklyn attends an excavation of the caves hidden deep under her parents' commune - and the findings are explosive. A room is unearthed, and it contains a treasure trove of artwork, rare books, a chest of jewelry...and a perfectly mummified body. A closer examination of the murdered man's possessions reveals a valuable first edition of Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Murder Under Cover: A Bibliophile Mystery

When she receives an exquisite copy of the Kama Sutra from her best friend, Robin, to appraise and restore, Brooklyn Wainwright anticipates both recreating a beautiful book and spicing up her love life. But then Robin's apartment is ransacked, and the great guy she recently met is murdered in her bed. Now Robin is the number one suspect. Obviously, exploring the Kama Sutra's bliss will have to wait until after Brooklyn finds the killer...

One Book in the Grave: A Bibliophile Mystery

Brooklyn's chance to restore a rare first edition of Beauty and the Beast seems a fairytale come true - until she realizes the book last belonged to an old friend. Three years ago, Max Adams fell in love with Emily and gave her the copy of Beauty and the Beast. Soon afterward, he died in a car crash, and Brooklyn has always suspected his ex-girlfriend and her jealous beau. Now she decides to find out who sold the book and return it to its rightful owner - Emily.

Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

Rare-books expert Brooklyn Wainwright is invited to the 50th birthday party of her neighbor Suzie's aunt Grace. A retired founder of a major video game corporation, Grace is a larger-than-life character who's turned her Lake Tahoe mansion into a fun house. Part of the fun involves a seance, but after the lights flicker, one guest is dead, poisoned by a cocktail intended for Grace. It seems someone is determined to turn Grace's playful palatial estate into a house of horrors.

A Cookbook Conspiracy: A Bibliophile Mystery, Book 7

Brooklyn has always been a little obsessed with food, but it was her sister, Savannah, who became a chef, graduating from the prestigious Cordon Bleu school in Paris. She and her classmates all went on to successful careers, but none of them achieved culinary superstardom like Savannah's ex-boyfriend Baxter Cromwell. When Baxter invites the old gang to participate in his new restaurant's gala opening, in San Francisco, Savannah asks Brooklyn to restore a tattered cookbook as a present for him. Shortly after receiving the gift, Baxter is found dead, with Savannah kneeling over him, bloody knife in hand, and the rare cookbook has disappeared....

This Old Homicide

Contractor and part-time sleuth Shannon Hammer specializes in improving the quirks and flaws of the Victorian homes in Lighthouse Cove, California. The quirks and flaws of their residents are another story... Valentine's Day is approaching, and while Shannon is delighted to be friends with not one but two handsome men, not everyone in town is feeling the love. After her elderly neighbor Jesse Hennessey fails to make his daily appearance at the local diner, Shannon swings by his place to check on him.

The Book Stops Here: A Bibliophile Mystery

Brooklyn Wainwright is thrilled to be appearing on the hit TV show, This Old Attic as a rare-book expert. Her first subject is a very valuable first-edition copy The Secret Garden. Its owner, Vera, is eager to have Brooklyn recondition it for resale. But a furious man viciously accosts Brooklyn, claiming that Vera found the first edition at his garage sale, and he wants it back - or else. In the days that follow, Brooklyn visits Vera's flower shop…and discovers her dead.

A High-End Finish

In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman - contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on.Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry's found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she's been hired to restore, the town's attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.

The Diva Paints the Town: Domestic Diva Series, Book 3

When Sophie Winston's neighbor - a reclusive professor - dies, his final wish is for the Domestic Diva to throw a dinner party in his honor, and he's planned everything down to the letter. But what no one planned for is the corpse of a student that Sophie finds in his house...or the mysterious will that shows up asking the question: Did the professor cover up a huge crime?

With Baited Breath

With sadness, Tori Cannon learns that the bait shop and small motel her grandparents ran has fallen on hard times. Jammed into one of the motel's units is a body, his mouth filled with spikes. Tori's friend, Kathy, arrives to help spruce up the property, and the two find themselves mixed up in the petty jealousies and deadly consequences that murder entails. Can they save the bait shop and find a murderer or will they, too, sleep with the fishes?

The Diva Takes the Cake: Domestic Diva, Book 2

Sophie Winston's sister, Hannah, is getting married - again! And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince. But is he a killer? That's the question on everyone's mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola. This is one event Sophie and her sister hadn't planned on.

A Crafty Killing: Victoria Square Mystery, Book 1

The last thing Katie Bonner wanted was to become the manager of Artisans Alley. But when her business partner Ezra Hilton is found bludgeoned to death, she has no other choice. Business under Ezra had been faltering - but was it enough to provoke someone to murder? Only Katie can find the answer.

A Fatal Chapter: Booktown Mystery, Book 9

While out walking Sarge, her sister's bichon frise, Tricia is led by the agitated dog to a man lying in a gazebo. She's startled when she recognizes Pete Renquist, the president of the Stoneham Historical Society, who appears to be suffering from cardiac arrest. When Pete later dies in the hospital, the discovery of a suspicious bruise and a puncture mark on his arm suggests he may have been murdered.

Dressed to Kill: Tourist Trap Mystery Series, Book 4

Jill Gardner, the owner of Coffee, Books, and More, has been suckered into playing a '20s flapper in murder/dinner theater. Though it is for charity.... Of course everyone is expecting a "dead" body at the dress rehearsal...but this one isn't acting! It turns out the main suspect is the late actor's conniving girlfriend, Sherry...who also happens to be the ex-wife of Jill's main squeeze. Sherry is definitely a master manipulator...but is she a killer? Jill may discover the truth only when the curtain comes up on the final act...and by then it may be far too late.

The Walled Flower: Victoria Square Mystery, Book 2

If Katie Bonner's late husband hadn't invested all their savings in the craft fair Artisans Alley - which Katie is now responsible for keeping in the black - the Webster mansion could have been hers to remodel. For years she dreamed of renovating the old place on Victoria Square into a bed and breakfast. Now that dream belongs to another young couple.

One Hot Murder: Victoria Square Mystery, Book 3

Katie Bonner, the reluctant manager of Artisans Alley in the quaint shopping district of Victoria Square, is no stranger to ambivalence. Things have been going hot and heavy with pizza maker Andy Rust - so much so that Katie has moved in over his pizza parlor. But now that summer's ushered in a heat wave, an apartment above pizza ovens without an air conditioner is making Katie hot and bothered.

Spellcasting in Silk: Witchcraft Mysteries, Book 7

Lily would like nothing better than to relax, enjoy her friends, and take care of business at her store, which is booming thanks to San Francisco's upcoming Summer of Love Festival. But as the unofficial witchy consultant to the SFPD, she is pulled into yet another case.

LeslieAnn says:"Another great installment in the Witchcraft Mysteries series"

Mission to Murder: A Tourist Trap Mystery, Book 2

Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Morgan, the obnoxious owner of South Cove's most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Morgan is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides that she must find the real murderer to clear her name.

If the Shoe Kills: Tourist Trap Mystery, Book 3

As owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being the liaison for a new work program, 'tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid that the interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing's worse than Ted Hendricks - the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill's ready to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted in his car - dead as a doornail.

Misfortune Cookies: When the Fat Ladies Sing, Book 1

Best friends Sue Jan and Lovita run a beauty shop/boutique in the little West Texas town of Wachita. They share a passion of food and fun. But one day, over lunch in a Chinese restaurant, Lovita opens a fortune cookie with a sinister message: "Your father was murdered..." - a clue that leads them to God, an international spy ring and several devastatingly handsome strangers. A most unlikely pair of detectives, these girlfriends "Comb" the countryside with style, sarcasm, and lots of Szechwan.

Guidebook to Murder: Tourist Trap, Book 1

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store - Coffee, Books, and More - open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder? When Jill's elderly friend Miss Emily calls in a fit of pique, she already knows that the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily's gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill, along with all of her problems...and her enemies.

By Book or by Crook: Lighthouse Library Mystery Series # 1

For 10 years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her family's social whorl or her sort-of engagement to the staid son of her father's law partner. But when her 10-year relationship implodes, Lucy realizes that the plot of her life is in need of a serious rewrite.

Publisher's Summary

Murder is always a bestseller… first in the new bibliophile mystery series!

The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn't be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration. With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless - and supposedly cursed - copy of Goethe's Faust for safekeeping. Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless - but attractive - British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice.

What the Critics Say

This first in a new series is going to launch Carlisle to a bestselling position and have readers looking forward to the next installment of delightfully eccentric characters, droll dialogue and a meticulously planned crime. Bibliophile heroine Brooklyn Wainwright is brilliant, feisty and funny.” (Romantic Times)

I downloaded this book because I wanted a nice cozy mystery. I should have followed the reviews and not gotten the book. The premise could have been good, but I found it very slow and boring. The narrator's "British" accent started out sounding Scottish and then wavered back and forth. Between the distracting narration and the slow story, I probably won't even finish the book. It's not even keeping my interest enough for me to care whodunit.

This book is an insult for every serious audible listener and a complete waste of time and a credit. Its nothing but a lame romance novel disguised in a pseudo crime story. The characters are a compilation of contrived stereotypes, the story doesn’t go anywhere, and the plot is complete nonsense. The narrator tries her best, but her imitation of male characters would be more suited for a fluffy puppet at Sesame street. Very painful to listen to, and kind of disturbing in a funny way since the main character starts fantasizing about two of the male characters the second she meets them.Only one word: LAME!

Maybe I should start by saying I don't read romance novels. I love it when there is attraction and subtlety with a kiss at the end and a promise of a more fullfilling relationship later when a commitment is present. Imagine that... moral books. With that said, Brooklyn, the main character, has all the sublety of a flashing neon sign. Brooklyn appears to be attracted to almost any man in the book as long as he's young and handsome and you have to hear about it in detail. She has had several attempts made to kill her. Then she gets decked by a main wearing black and instead of wondering "Who is he?" and "Is he the murderer?" she is attracted to him?? Please. The overall mystery was quite nice. But the language which is moderately sprinkled with all kinds of bad words, including f words, is disappointing and distracting. I am a mom of school age children and I can't listen to this outloud, yet it is an AUDIO book. My dad is a true bibliophile and collects old books. I love the setting of this mystery, but the romance and language are too much. Overall, it was disappointing. The performance also detracted from the story. If you need a British accent, you ought to try to find a good one.

Has Homicide in Hardcover turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, just from this writer. I noticed she also writes romance fiction and seems to forget which genre she is in. I am reading for the mystery, not for a bodice ripper romance. She can't seem to help herself when introducing a new character. The descriptions don't belong in a mystery. The mysteries are fairly good for a cozy mystery, but she keeps mixing her genres. If I wanted to read about how a character's butt looks in his pants, I would read a different kind of book. I used my credits on the buy four get $10 sale. What a waste of credits. I will not be buying more of this series.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Homicide in Hardcover?

Even if meant as a spoof, this book fails miserably. Dialogue, "characters" and plot are all so tedious and poorly written, one wonders if the writer could possibly have been serious. Even the performance was bad.
Sad waste of a credit.

I have very little sympathy for the main character and the story is fuzzy in places. She finds a man dying and instead of calling an ambulance for him she puts a book in her pocket. I don't regret buying this book but I probably won't get the rest of the series unless someone i trust tells me that have gotten better.

Truth be told, the murder mystery isn't the reason to read this one. Kate Carlisle packs this short novel with local flair. There are tips about good places to eat and visit while in San Francisco. On top of that there are several lovable characters - I especially liked Brooklyn's odd couple neighbors. As for flaws, it feels like several characters don't get time to truly develop and revelations come quickly and are forgotten. Also, the romantic involvement seems to creep in too quickly - almost like the author fell into a quick fantasy and wrote it in without giving us enough time to see that it was much more than a fling. Worth a read or Audible listen but don't bother with the rest of the series as it pretty much repeats just in different places.

I'm astonished by all the positive reviews this book has. The heroine protests every so often about being called stupid, but there seems no other word to describe her. She withholds information from detectives, makes off with items from crime scenes and investigates murders for no good reason I could discern. Some characters did have the potential to be interesting, but others are so strange I thought at first the author was being ironic - a private investigator who is likened to James Bond, was an RN commander and drives a Bentley. He is of course a love interest, but in a plot line out of the 1970s starts off distrusting our heroine before any crime takes place and for no reason that is ever given. The author does apparently know book binding, but dumps paragraphs of information about the process into the story with no subtlety. She does not however know anything about foreign languages; the heroine, who speaks no German is able to read something which, from what we are told would be quite complex, in German armed with no more than a dictionary. The only reason I would recommend this is that it's so bad you keep going to see what horror comes next

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

IAN

United Kingdom

5/23/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Brilliant new detective on the scene!"

Kate Carlisle's New Bibliophile mystery series featuring Brooklyn Wainwright, is a page turner (or in this case 'ear listener') all the way.Hopefully there will be more of Kate's Bibliophile Mysteries audiobooks available in the near future in the UK....as I know there are 6 books out already and the 7th out in June in hardback (A Cookbook Conspiracy), plus 1 novella available only via Kindle (Pages of Sin).Keep them coming please Kate!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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